So, why not take a look at our list, then go along and check them out for yourself?!

Time Line

Bars, cafes and restaurants that have opened in Leicester this year

Shakespeare's House, Southgates - opened February

Shakespeare's House opened in the building which once housed the Shakespeare's Head pub. However, it now looks very different.

Guests can enjoy an array of European food and Shakespeare-inspired cocktails.

The venue is divided into two distinct areas - a forest-themed restaurant, with wood cladding and a stretch ceiling featuring trees, and a sky-themed bar, with a sky stretch ceiling and brightly coloured lights.

Wrapchic, Gallowtree Gate - opened February

Indian burrito company Wrapchic opened in February, serving Indian-style street food, with breakfast offerings including filled paratha and wraplettes, and a main menu featuring burritos, bowls and wraps.

There's also a chiller filled with grab and go items like wrapaninis, wraposas and curry pots which can be heated up in-store or at home.

There's colourful seating, tables made from oil drums, and photos of India on the wall. Plus, there's a 'Great Wall of Wrapchic' where customers are encouraged to leave feedback.

CUE, Francis Street, Stoneygate - opened March

This Scandi-inspired coffee house has an emphasis on tasty and beautiful food, with smoked meats and vegetables at the core of the menu (hence the name CUE - from barbeCUE). And of course, it serves great coffee.

You could pop there for breakfast, brunch or lunch - and there's vegetarian and vegan options available.

Brunch options range from shakshuka with eggs to eggs royale, and for lunch, you could enjoy the likes of Korean smoked brisket with Asian slaw on a toasted brioche bun, or a roasted butternut squash and baby leaf salad.

Steak and Lounge, Abbey Street - opened March

Steak and Lounge offers a fusion of Indian and African cuisine, with a modern twist.

According to the owners, the decor is influenced by the British Raj, whilst the menu combines a deep history of flavours rooted from India, and freshly grilled cooking inspired by African heritage - resulting in a fine dining experience like no other.

The spacious restaurant is spread over two floors, and can cater for around 100 people.

Alongside a variety of steaks - from sirloin to T-bone, you'll find a selection of burgers, sizzler plates, salads, and S&L specials including The Mufasa Stack - a rack of beef ribs smothered in secret homemade sauce, and The Rolls Royce of Seafood - American scallops, cooked with spinach, garlic, cream and cherry tomato, topped with melted cheese.

Herb, Granby Street - opened March

Herb is a completely vegetarian restaurant, which focuses on Kerala herbal cuisine - offering something new for Leicester diners.

The design of the restaurant is very different too, and includes a traditionally decorated Indian ceiling with antique lanterns and cart wheels, stonework on the walls, and even a Royal Enfield motorbike on display.

The menu is a reflection of the food available in the Kerala region of India, where there's fusion of traditional regional food and food brought to the region by travellers.

Head of Steam, Market Street - opened April

Leicester bar Head of Steam offers a selection of around 150 beers - including craft ale and cask ale, from Britain, Europe, America, Canada, Japan and Australia.

There's a cocktail menu featuring beer cocktails, including the Pink Elephant. Or, you and a friend could share a Hendricks gin cocktail in a teapot.

Food available includes light bites such as Persian pressed chicken or tempura vegetables, and world flavours such as sauteed mussels or beef bourguignon - which each come with a recommended beer pairing from the in-house beer sommeliers.

The Head of Steam group of bars was launched by Hartlepool-based Camerons Brewery in 1995, with the idea of having bars in each city where there was a key train station between London and Scotland.

Leicester is the 14th bar to open, and much of its styling reflects the train station link - including a 'ticket office' sign upstairs and 'HoS Leicester EMR' painted on the brickwork downstairs, which is designed to look like the side of a train.

Prana Cafe, Horsefair Street - opened May

In the former Barclays bank, Prana is a wholefood cafe catering for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets.

The café has a plant-based menu, using organic ingredients wherever possible. The food offering includes healthy Prana bowls and a selection of sandwiches - with fillings including mozzarella with organic pesto and organic falafel with mixed organic vegetables - all made using bread from Hambleton Bakery.

There is also an array of delicious vegan cakes including coffee and walnut cake, chocolate cake and flapjacks.

Benito's Hat, Highcross - opened June

Serving burritos and margaritas, Benito's Hat has opened in the unit formerly occupied by fellow burrito restaurant, Mission Burrito.

The menu is built around burritos and tacos, and there's also salads and sides available too.

You can get your burrito, taco or salad with a great selection of toppings, such as chipotle-grilled steak, super-slow braised pork, or sauteed vegetables and guacamole.

The restaurant makes a change from 'Feast' to 'Fiesta' every day at 5pm, when the lights are turned down, the music turned up, and customers can relax and enjoy amazing margaritas (frozen strawberry margarita, anyone?).

The company is named after Benito Juárez - a Mexican politician and statesman of the late 19th century, who apparently had a penchant for bizarre hats!

Jimmy's Killer Prawns, London Road - opened June

South African-based Jimmy's Killer Prawns opened its first UK restaurant right here in Leicester last month.

The menu features an array of speciality prawn dishes, including grilled killer prawns, Santorini queen prawns in creamy garlic and feta sauce, and Mozambique queen prawns in creamy coconut sauce.

There's other seafood such as lobster thermidor and grilled crab, as well as the likes of chicken breast, ribs and paella.

The menu also includes a range of family platters, offering a variety of prawns, rice, fries and sauces.

Jimmy’s Killer Prawns first opened its doors in 1991 in a Victorian mining house in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Jimmy’s Killer Prawns aims to be more than just a restaurant. It says the experience of the awesome food, style of eating and great service brings people together – whether friends, couples or families.

Two-Tailed Lion, Millstone Lane - opened June

This new independent pub has been opened by the city's only 'Certified Cicerones', or beer sommeliers.

Matt Baker and Alice Hubbard - the team behind the St Martin's Square pop-up tap house The Tap in the Square - are serving quality craft beers, real ales, wines and spirits, in a friendly, comfortable environment.

Set across two floors in a cosy Grade II Listed building, The Two-Tailed Lion is described as 'a traditional British pub with a timeless aesthetic that gives a subtle nod to modern, American-influenced tap houses.'

The name has been chosen to pay homage to the coat of arms of Simon De Montfort, Sixth Earl of Leicester.

The main feature is the back-bar tap wall, showcasing six frequently changing keg beers.

In addition, there's three cask lines.

There's beer from local breweries, including exclusive beers from Leicester's own Framework Brewery, alongside quality beers from further afield such as Cloudwater Brew Co, Buxton Brewery, Verdant, and many others.

Spirits Bar, Hotel Street - opened June

Spirits Bar opened this summer, in the former Cellini shop.

The style of the bar is gothic with a modern twist, and blends old and new elements.

Eye-catching features include a statue of Icarus (the character from Greek mythology who ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun) behind the bar, a church window, and a huge, colourful lightbox on the wall.

It was launched by the same people that own Escape Asylum in nearby St Martin's Square, and, now has escape rooms in the basement - including one with a King Richard III theme.

The bar itself focuses on cocktails, with creations split into three groups including Classics, which are familiar favourites such as Mojito and Cosmopolitan, and House Specialities, which allows Spirits Bar to put its own twist on traditional cocktails such as Bitter Orange Mojito and the deliciously sweet Cherry Bakewell.

Karamay Hotpot, London Road - opened August

Karamay Hotpot claims to be the first rotary hotpot restaurant in the UK.

Diners can take a seat and help themselves to food from the conveyor belt in front of them, and create their own hotpot.

A wide selection of ingredients are available, and sliced beef and lamb can be ordered from staff. In order to maintain freshness, they won't be placed on the conveyor belt (but they are included in the price).

Biryani Centre, Granby Street - opened August

This new Indian restaurant focuses on traditional biryani.

It has been launched by Leicester businessman Manzoor Khalid, who is keen to offer something that no other eatery is offering - and so decided to focus on traditional biryani, made using quality meat and vegetables.

Everything is cooked in front of you in the open kitchen - so you can see your dinner being prepared. Prices start at just £3.50.

Queen Victoria Arts Club, Rutland Street - opened October

Leicester's much-anticipated Queen Victoria Arts Club is a striking £650,000 venue is made up of a restaurant, bar and private members' club.

The Grade II-listed building - which was created to mark Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897 - has been sympathetically restored and now beautifully combines turn of the century elegance with state-of-the-art flourishes.

As well as stunning surroundings, customers can enjoy "delicious modern British food, cocktails and champagne".

Leicester Coffee House, Granby Street - opened October

This coffee shop with a difference opened in October.

It aims to not only provide good quality, ethically sourced and in-house roasted coffee, but also provide a unique employment opportunity for local students who have difficulties entering the workplace due to social, emotional and behavioural issues.

Leicester Coffee House Company is run by Gail Brown and Aaron Keen, who've been roasting coffee in small batches from home since November 2016, and selling it via mail order as well local pick-up.

The name of the business came from the original Leicester Coffee and Cocoa House Company which began in 1877, and combined commercial profit with the benefit of townspeople - an ethos which is similar to that of Leicester Coffee House Company.

Cafe Conexion, Charles Street - opened October

This coffee shop serves coffee that is roasted right there on the premises.

It has been launched by three friends who are knowledgeable and passionate about coffee - and are keen to provide a place where fellow coffee lovers can relax and enjoy a drink made from freshly roasted beans.

Brandon Walton and Ivan Mengual launched a coffee roasting company in December 2016. Having proved successful, supplying companies across the UK, the duo decided to open their own coffee shop, and friend Oscar Moveno also came on board with the project.

The coffee is all single origin, 100 per cent Arabica, and is used within 48 hours of being roasted.

Quest, Belvoir Street - opened October

Leicester's first board games coffee shop opened in October, aiming to give enthusiasts the chance to play their favourite games - and also to discover new ones.

There's more than 130 games for you to choose from, including Japanese board game Takenoko, dungeon-building game Boss Monster, super-fast sushi card game Sushi Go and family favourite Hungry Hungry Hippos.

There's also a café, focusing on a plant-based diet, with sandwiches and cakes among the offerings.

Caffe Nero, High Street - opened November

Caffe Nero opened on the corner of Silver Street and High Street, in the unit which formerly housed Irish menswear until its closure in January.

The new coffee shop is the fourth Caffe Nero in Leicester, joining branches in Gallowtree Gate, Market Street, and Humberstone Gate.

It has a cosy atmosphere and stylish look, with an eclectic mix of furniture, wooden floors, exposed brickwork on the walls, and lovely finishing touches including mirrors and pendant lights above the booths.

Bean Gaming, Silver Street - opened December

Bean Gaming is a huge board games cafe, which opened in the unit which previously housed Prezzo restaurant.

According to owner and board game enthusiast Terry Buckley, the cafe - with seating for 100 customers - is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, board game cafe in the UK.

The family-friendly venue aims to offer a place to ditch the screen and enjoy one another's company. There's hundreds of board games, offering plenty of variety, so there's sure to be something for everyone, whatever their ability or interests.

Customers can also enjoy coffee from St Martin's, and freshly cooked pizza.